Mole plow



Jan. 27, 1931. M. F, VlsSER 1,790,032

MOLE PLOW Filed DEG.- l-l, 1928 n) lo 273/413.l 7\

Patented Jan. 27, 1931 y MAumTsrRANsvrssER; or WAGENINGEN, NETIERLANDS iMorin rLowj Application `filed December 11, 1928, Serial o. 325,23,landin the NetherlandslDecember 17,717927.. l

For the purpose of laying y'drainfpipes the ordinary practice is'todignarrow trenches in the land. In loamy-or loose subsoils, for

= instance peat-moor, the drain v'pipes are soinefv l 5' times supportedby interconnected wooden laths .placed on the .bottom of the trenches. vLater practice in Englandfand recentlylalso inthe Netherlands istoformdrain holes in c z the subsoil by means of an implementknown 10 as aFmole drainer.. Such drain holes, how-A ever, will stand for any lengthof time only `in very strong or stiff clay subsoils. y The drawback ofthe usual device usedfor digging trenches, laying the drain es thereinand thereafter filling inthe trenc es with the soil previously excavatedresides in' the heavy cost, so that such device is not economical whenthe lines of drain pipes are to f be spaced a relatively small distanceapart. In soft or weak land, for instance in newly'reclaimed polders,the digging of trenches offers serious difficulties and it is exactlyland of this character which urgently requires underground drainage.Mole drainage of such ble. Y Now, the characteristic feature of mypresent invention is that the pipes, cables or the like are drawn into asubterranean hole made 30 by means of a mole drainer. In using thedevice, I may interconnect the pipe sections, or I may support the pipesections, or the cables, on a base which during the drawingv operationtakes up the tensile stresses. As to said base, this may either be leftin the hole, or it may be removed after the laying of the pipes `or thelike.

My novel method may, for instance, be eifectually performed as follows:In use a mole drainer is placed on two beams or planks across the ditchinto which the suction drainpipes are to discharge, or, Aif the suctiondrain pipes are to discharge .I vinto main drain pipes, the mole draineris placed over a short length of trench dug for this purpose. Thereafterthe nose piece,

which is fixed to the extreme endof the knife 5 or coulter and which hasfor its duty to prepare the hole, is set to the required depth. Themole, which is connected to said nose instance, by usingpipzeisectionsjof special land is, as a matter of course, quite impossi"piece, should have'a suitable cross section, for? instance, thatofaninverted trough." iTotlie" mole` is secured a thin board orlathhafying lay lengthlofsayflO-l feet, in accordancel'with ,y theVWidth of the. ditch or they leiigthgof, thev "-1 trench, this boardbeing set tothe `required depth'on asupporting plank. vSaid-board'serves as a base or support, on which the drain l pipe sections areplaced andbroughtinto alignment, Lateral displacementof,thesecf M tionsonfthe board should be'` prevented, for

cross sectional form, or .rbyv the provis y abutments on,or of aguidegrooveithe board. Preferably the mole ,drainer lowed to travel on:boards on the groun'dif4 If, now, the mole drainer,V is :drawn in aforward direction through l adistance yoffsay y 1.0-15 feet,eitherdireotlyorby means fof fa steel rope, the base .boardl withtheydrainpipesections supported thereby is drawn intothe hole madev by the .mole.Thereafter, second board maybe place-d on'theplank and connectedwith-the one already inserted, whereupon a suitable number of drain pipe57:5 sections are Yplaced lthereon exactly in. align-v menty with f thesections g lalready drawn for--` ward, and so on. Alternatively, `a.series of Y base boards may belaidin alignment on the groundl rearwardof lthe pla-iik` be' l'connected ,to-I one another, sothatfduring-theforward, travel .this 'base, ,into the hole lthe drain pipe sectionslmay be placedfthereon in alignment,y without substantial interruption.'Ihe Vdepthof themol'e vbelow the surface is varied as the mole travelsforward, whereby the desired slope,\,of' the lin'efof drainpipes isensured... V, v In lieu ,ofA using, in addition .-t'ofthe nose v piecefor` preparing the hole, a separate vmole .having ar'greater crosssectionalraredlpfmay employ a nose piece of 'sufficient ,crossy sectionto y{perfornii vthe combined j functions of the ,two parts landeillustrated@ 1f 'f Thedevice can be used iia'tzure 'of the subsoil,that'isto sa`y`,`also in 'newlyy reclaimed polders, in quicksaiid and inpeat-marsh.;v 'i -i f y Y If desired, the'` clearances between'th'e pipesections may besealed topreventquicksand `rres'pective` ofk the im c loofrom penetrating into the drain. The interconnected base boards preventthe sections from unequal sinking, Whereas the fact that the sectionsare drawn and not pushed into the hole prevent them from gettinglaterally out of line.

As no manual labour is required for digging, the, envier-desee, isIssisxpensiiveihsfl known devices,` especially in loose Soil", in Whichtrenches Would have vto be very-Wide: Besides, Witheherppesemdevise....theseili is, not turned.

It is evident that the device can bezem-3.' ployed, irrespective ofWhether the drain pipe'shave a""circiilar, or v'a5triangular,- or: anyotherucross` sectional yshape and thatlit is immater'ji'aflivhether fthepipes are of Wood or off othersuitable material. If 'the soil issulleiepply sirops er' still Ielle supporting base for .the 'sections'may be dispensed. with, provided that the V sections are interconnected,for instance, pyspiget. [end socket, ieipls- Again, in;k order' to:reduce the"1 effortrequined,ll may first make the holek and there'-ellfpafe ,seeppfl .stage 0f the Operation,- dravv'ftliedrainpipesections thereinto".

i If'it is notl lstrictly"necessaryY tov use Yboards asa ermanentbaseforthe pipe' sections in thefleleQseidbOelds pey et the Completion of. thellayih'ng be retracted from the .hole, ivhenthe 'pipes should, cicourse, be. p re-V ventedf' frppl lellewlps- Ill' desired., f e steelbepflingiyfbesusel?fprtempererly supporte ing the pipejsections or. thekcablefduring are.y ptespenneeted ha .seelsel le.

ielrlpsafiThe-hole.medal-baille males;

cross section as to permit of the free passage of the Yboard 5 With thepipe sections resting thereon. When operation is started, the plough isplaced with its Wheels on beams 9 across the ditch 10. The board 5 andalso the next one, which isto'be connected thereto, are then placedinalignment on a plank 1,1. 'I jhe normal talusflQ-inay' beegzcavated, asshown by line'13,in order to'gain place for said plank. Y

the;lentremetorpvapd, end of the completed line o pipes`a"gapmisn Vcutdown in thesgland through Which access can be got to the mole and thelatter may be disconnected from thefline.; Y A

A device vofthefcla'ss' described comprising a xnolej,v means :for'dravving thefvm'ole throughA the earth in advance of@y a ditch, saidmole v having "'strips fixed tov its sides, `'said' strips having'portions` extending rearwardlyof 1 themole; a board iiyied'between,V theextended portions-'for -supportingtiles and.l having a atbottom'Orengaging the earth,` aV plank-v disposed; transverselyf loffthe ditchvfor ini'- tially supporting the' board i-Xed'betiveen the stripstoguidethesanie into the opening produced bythefmjolei'said plank! 'alsoserving asa restfor additionalV boardsfto beconnecteVd-fivitli-the{,.iixed board' as tl'ie-vm'ole progresses throughthe earth.Y

MAU'Rrps FRANS' vissen. Y

- and. theedjustipg. devise, .Whisk leftlliowever, lsjQf, .110;@permises-esferas ply, pres,- ent ,iIii-ventig'n.if1s` concerned.- Theemole 4; at?` cording to Fig. '2,"h`o'wever,

In: testimony WhereoIfaiii-X my signature. Y

espiga

